Chess, Not Checkers
by A Demented Fangirl
Summary: Ciel x Reader one-shot! You decide to attend a party at the Bennett Manor (I made that name up), when the Earl Phantomhive offers you a dance. Eventually, he ends up inviting you over to his manor for chess. I also published this on WattPad in case it looks familiar. ;)


**Hello, fellow users! I hope you enjoy this Ciel x Reader one-shot! Please leave a review, especially if you have constructive criticism! Even if you don't, please leave one anyways. XD Disclaimer: I do NOT own Kuroshitsuji or its characters, as much as I want to. Also, I published this story on WattPad as well (My account is ADementedFangirl), so if it seems familiar, you know why. ;)**

You watched the dancing crowd before you, almost in a sulking sort of way. The party at the Bennett Manor was proving to be a bust for you. Not only were you a worthless dancer, your h/l, h/c hair was swept up in a tight updo, your corset was practically choking you, and your shoes pinched your feet painfully with each step. The party you were attending was supposed to be lively, but as you were a horrific dancer, the only thing you could do was lean against the wall and watch all of the dancing and halfway-drunken couples waltz the night away.

A few men had asked you to dance, but you, as politely as possible, declined since you could smell the alcohol on their breath, and intoxicated people disgusted you. Why couldn't people be smart and rational around alcohol? It confused you as to why someone would want to get so drunk that they would pass out.

As you were ranting to yourself in your mind, your eyes fell on a young boy- roughly the age of 13- who was directly across the room from you. His hair was black, but had a navy blue-ish tint to it, and even though he was some distance away, you could see that his one eye that was not covered by a black eye patch was a deep, mesmerizing blue. He wore a clean white shirt under a black waistcoat and navy blue tailcoat, along with black trousers that fell to his knees and a black bowtie. A black-clad butler stood at his side, with the darkest hair you had ever seen and wine-red eyes. You had seen the boy at other parties, and he didn't dance much, either.

The butler leaned down to the boy (you presumed that the boy was his master) and muttered something to him. The boy's gaze instantly snapped to you, and you whirled your head away, your cheeks flushing a light pink color. Damn that butler, embarrassing you like that! It's not as if you were interested in the boy. Even though you suddenly seemed interested in the wallpaper, you could practically feel the boy's amused stare in your direction, which didn't help your blushing problem.

As the party carried on, neither you nor the boy and their butler moved from their spot. Perhaps he wasn't the best dancer, either. Before you knew it, the final dance of the party was about to occur, and you knew that in order to keep your social status a good one, you were forced to dance. The boy's butler must have known this as well, because he leaned down and said something to the boy that caused his scowl to deepen. The boy sighed and waved the butler away, and the butler seemed to smirk. Before you knew it, the boy was crossing the room in your direction, and you pretended not to notice.

"You may stop acting like you do not see me, because it's not working."

You swiveled your head over at the boy, who was looking at you with an expression that didn't look the least bit amused. His eyes were much more mesmerizing in person. "I'm sorry?" you said softly. The boy looked away, and you could tell with a pang of anger that he was rolling his eyes.

"Might I have your name?"

"Y/f/n, y/f/n y/l/n," you answered, bowing slightly.

"I am Ciel Phantomhive, head of the Phantomhive family and owner of the Funtom Company," he said with a slight bow. "May I have this dance?"

"Of course, Lord Phantomhive," you replied smoothly.

The both of you stepped onto the dance floor as the music began to play. Ciel put his left hand in your right hand and put his remaining hand on your waist. As soon as his hand even brushed over your waist, he hastily averted his gaze from you. Was it possible that he was blushing?

The dance began, and you immediately knew that your theory that he wasn't a good dancer was correct, for the both of you looked like you were gracefully tripping and falling instead of dancing. He frequently stepped on your toes, and you on his. Both of you blushed a deep shade of crimson, for a few couples ran into each other because they were staring.

You finally decided to at least attempt to talk whilst dancing. It seemed like you both needed it. "I don't see why social dancing is such a big part of your social status. Do you?"

He finally turned his gaze back to you, his cheeks flushed, but he carried himself as if he didn't notice… Well, at least, he _tried_ to. "I don't either. I find dancing a complete and utter waste of time," he stated.

"As do I! Why doesn't society spend their time doing something that can actually build their intelligence? Since intelligence these days seems to be decreasing." You bit your lip before you ranted more, as you were afraid that he would instantly become bored of you as any typical man would.

To your surprise, his lip twitched upward slightly. "Indeed. Even some adults, I believe, are more idiotic than I."

"You are very mature for your age," you said as you tilted your head.

"Maturity does not come with age to some. It is simply an attitude that is built by experience," Ciel said, his face twisting into a frown. There was something in his tone that prevented you from asking about it, a sense of… what was the word? Bitterness? You couldn't quite tell, but you dropped the subject anyway.

At last, the dance ended, and you felt several stares. Both of you hastily broke away from each other, and you began to make a beeline for the wall again before Ciel's voice stopped you.

"Would you like to join me in a game of chess at my manor tomorrow?"

You turned and a smile unconsciously made its way onto your lips. "Of course. What time do you wish me to arrive?"

Ciel had scheduled a carriage to pick you up in time for lunch and tea at noon. Your parents were easy to persuade, so your plans with Ciel had not been shut down by them. Ciel followed you to the carriage you and your parents would take home when you decided to leave.

"Thank you for your company this evening, Lady y/n," he said as he bowed and planted a kiss on your gloved knuckles.

"You are most welcome, Lord Phantomhive. Thank you for saving me from my own boredom," you said with a bow. You stepped into the carriage and looked back at Ciel with a smile, waving your hand at him. His lips were pulled into the slightest of smiles, and he waved back before the carriage door shut, separating you two.

Ciel watched the carriage leave. What an interesting young woman… She thought in a similar way that Ciel did, she didn't bore him to death by talking about clothes and men and parties, and, despite the fact that she was fairly attractive and could easily lure in men to dance with, she danced nearly worse than he did.

"What an interesting young miss. Don't you agree, Young Master?" Sebastian said, his voice holding an air of mischief. Ciel turned; he had nearly forgotten that Sebastian was there.

"She is simply a girl and no more, if that's what you were implying, Sebastian," Ciel said, his face hardening.

" _I_ did not imply anything, Young Master. You already did it for me," Sebastian said, smirking knowingly.

" _Tch._ " Ciel scoffed, rolling his eyes. _How dare he assume such folly…_

After Ciel had gotten home and was ready for bed, he couldn't help but think of you. Your twinkling e/c eyes haunted his thoughts, and the f/c dress you were wearing was very flattering on you. When he did fall asleep, it was a peaceful, quiet sleep, with pleasant dreams including a certain e/c-eyed young woman.

You sat in the Phantomhive carriage that Ciel had sent for you, staring out the window with anticipation. Ciel Phantomhive was a mysterious and rather intriguing boy, not like anyone else you had ever met. His demeanor was serious and professional, but sometimes he would tease you or make witty remarks that you found entertaining. What you saw of his smiles were much more pleasant than his usual hardened expression or scowl. If he would just _smile,_ he could be one of the most handsome men in London- according to your standards, anyway. Most women preferred muscular, even brutish looks, but you would rather the man have sharper, more elegant features. Looks didn't matter to you, though. Intelligence was everything.

The carriage rolled up to the courtyard of the manor, and you marveled at the beauty of it. The grass looked like velvet, the sterling roses were pruned wonderfully and blooming in a magnificent way, and the hedges were well-trimmed into perfect shapes.

The Phantomhive butler- Sebastian, as he introduced himself- opened the carriage door with a polite, but false, smile.

"Welcome to the Phantomhive Manor, My Lady. My young master is waiting for you. I shall go prepare lunch and tea for the both of you," Sebastian said, opening the enormous doors of the manor. Instantly, your jaw dropped. The manor was utterly astounding; it looked absolutely perfect, with not a single thing out of place. You could nearly see your reflection in the floor.

"Mister Sebastian, this manor is utterly amazing. I don't think I've seen such a beautiful manor in all my life," you said, still admiring the manor.

"I am deeply flattered, My Lady," he said with a bow. "Please follow me. The Young Master is awaiting your arrival in his study."

Sebastian led you through the maze of a manor before knocking on a door. A monotonous "Come in." was heard. Upon entering, you saw Ciel sitting behind a desk, his previously dull expression brightening slightly.

"Lady y/n, I am glad you are here. Please, sit down. Sebastian will make us lunch with tea," Ciel said, gesturing to a chair. You sat down as you heard the door close, signifying that Sebastian took his leave.

"So, why did you request my presence, Lord Phantomhive?" you asked as you sat down.

"You may call me 'Ciel,' if you wish. I requested your visit for the mere pleasure of your company." he smirked. "Why? Do you not enjoy my company?"

"No, I enjoy your company. I was simply curious, is all," you replied.

"I see," was all he said before he pulled out a box that appeared to hold a chess board and its pieces inside. "Would you like to play chess?"

"Of course, but I have to warn you: I play an excellent game of chess," you said with a slight smirk. Ciel didn't look intimidated at all. In fact, he gave you a dark smirk.

"I shall be the judge of that."

So the two of you played chess. As much as you hated to admit it, Ciel's skill in chess was a great one, indeed. He made excellent strategies and avoided many of yours. Hands flew across the chess board, and eventually, both of you had the same pieces left on the board: a knight, a pawn, and, of course, the king.

Finally, you looked up and smirked. "Checkmate."

"What?! Impossible!" Ciel cried, looking at the board. Sure enough, his king was in checkmate.

"I win," you said triumphantly, beaming.

"I demand a rematch!" Ciel crossed his arms over his chest like a child, the first immature thing you've seen him do. You giggled.

"Nobody likes a sore loser, Ciel, but I will abide to your request," you said as you began to set up your pieces again.

You two played again, Ciel taking much more time to concentrate this time. When it all came down to the nitty-gritty, you knew you were done for. It seemed that Ciel did, too.

"Check-" Ciel knocked over your king with his knight "-mate."

The king fell to the floor with a clatter. Ciel smirked in a superior way as you took a second to absorb the fact that Ciel Phantomhive had beaten you. Before you could make a witty remark, the door opened to reveal Sebastian, who bowed.

"Forgive me for interrupting, but lunch is ready, My Lord."

"We shall be there in a moment, Sebastian. You may leave," Ciel replied curtly.

"Yes, My Lord," Sebastian said before taking his leave.

Ciel opened the door for you, and you stepped out, smiling politely at him. "What an excellent game of chess, Lord Phantomhive. You are quite the strategist."

"I could say the same for you, Lady y/n. No one has ever beaten me at chess."

Before you knew it, you were lost in the deep blue color of his one remaining eye, and he seemed to be lost in your eyes as well. Your heartbeat became faster, and butterflies fluttered in your stomach. Your faces got closer, much too close to be proper, and….

An ear-splitting shatter was heard, and the both of you sprang apart and whirled around. All four of the servants stood before a destroyed glass cabinet. The servants appeared to have been spying on you from the cabinet, and your face burned a crimson color. Ciel's face wasn't any less embarrassed.

" _You four! Get on with your business!_ " Ciel yelled, clearly in a rage. All of them repeatedly apologized before scampering away like frightened mice. Ciel put his face in his hands. "What am I to do with those four?"

"I haven't a clue, but how about we eat lunch first?" you suggested. He looked up and grinned, holding out his arm for you to take it.

"After lunch, would you honor me with another game of chess?"

You took his arm, beaming. "Of course, Lord Phantomhive."

 **I hope you enjoyed! Please leave a review, even if you don't have constructive criticism! Ciao!**


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